Short-term effects of fiberotomy on relapse of anterior crowding.

The effects of fiberotomy were evaluated in alleviating dental relapse of incisors after orthodontic treatment. The study sample consisted of 23 patients with crowded maxillary and mandibular incisors before orthodontic treatment. The amount of initial crowding was determined according to Little's irregularity index. Fiberotomy procedures were performed on 11 of the patients 1 week before debonding. The other 12 subjects served as the control group. All patients wore Hawley retainers. Lateral cephalometric headfilms and dental casts of the patients were taken at the beginning (T1) and at the end (T2) of treatment, 6 months into the retention phase (T3), and 1 year after orthodontic treatment (T4). Significant increase of irregularity index was noted in the control group at T3 and T4 for both maxillary and mandibular anterior segments (P <.05, P <.01). Meanwhile, in the group where circumferential supracrestal fiberotomy was performed, no significant increase of the irregularity index was noted.

Radiographic evaluation of third-molar development in a group of Turkish children.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the crypt formation and calcification of the maxillary and mandibular third molars according to age and gender on panoramic radiographs in a group of Turkish children. Four hundred panoramic radiographs of 188 female and 212 male dental patients, ages six to thirteen years, were examined by two observers. The interrater reliability was tested by Kappa statistics. The earliest age for maxillary third molar crypt formation was eight years; mandibular third molars could be seen radiographically as early as seven years.